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Email: What is it?, Addresses, Software, Sending, Reading, Finding Attachments | Lists: What are they?, Joining, Leaving, Finding, More Info | Netiquette: Guidelines, Mailing Lists, Spam | Supplemental Links Email and Mailing List Netiquette Guidelines The following guidelines are appropriate in virtually any written communication conducted over the Internet. Use White Space Reading from a computer screen for any length of time can cause eye fatigue. To help your reader, build "visual breaks" into your message. For example, insert a blank line between paragraphs and use indenting or lists to set off key points. Avoid All Caps Although it may be easier for new typists, typing a message in all capital letters makes you LOOK LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING. If shouting is your intention, then by all means go ahead. But, using all caps when not necessary makes your message hard to read and may alienate your reader. Use Emoticons Email messages lack the verbal and non-verbal cues that help us determine if someone is joking or yelling at us. Emoticons (sometimes called smileys) can help express emotions and feelings in email messages. Emoticons are a series of keyboard characters that look like a face turned on its side. Here are some of the more common emoticons and their general meanings.
Use Descriptive Subject Lines Many people receive so much email they use the subject lines of messages to prioritize their reading and weed out unwanted messages. To make sure your message is noticed, use a descriptive, but brief subject line. For example,
Subject: browser question (too general) Add a Signature A signature is an optional part of a message that identifies the sender. It usually is four-five lines of information such as full name, title, snail mail address, phone/fax number and email address. Many email software applications let you create a signature once, and then automatically attach it to the bottom of messages you send. Or, the program may be set to not attach a signature. You can also direct most mailers to leave the signature off your messages when you want to. When you send messages to a mailing list server, like LISTSERV or Majordomo, it is a good idea to turn your signature off. If you don't, the server will try to process the lines in the signature as if they were commands. Some servers disregard signatures if they begin with two dashes in the first line at the far-left position and will not try to process your signature as a command. If you aren't sure where to create signatures in your email application, try looking in the help menu.
The Master Internet Volunteer Program was developed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service and was adapted for use in North Dakota with permission. Copyright © 2000 North Dakota State University. All rights reserved. North Dakota State University Extension Service |
